National Weather Service

The majority of tornadoes this year have blasted through states in the Midwest and Southeast, including Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Iowa. Tornado activity has been increasing east of the Great Plains in recent decades.

The Round of 32 victory sends Colombia to the next round against Switzerland, and knocks Ghana out of the tournament. Fans of both teams gathered in Kansas City to eat traditional foods and cheer together.

A heat dome that's brought punishing heat and humidity to the Midwest will make for a tough Colombia-Ghana match on Friday, for players and fans — some of whom are more accustomed to temperatures in the 60s and 70s in July.

A major heat wave is affecting much of the eastern half of the United States this week, bringing dangerous conditions to multiple World Cup matches. Kansas City's Friday evening match between Ghana and Colombia may not escape the high temperatures and humidity.

The National Weather Service has posted an extreme heat warning for the metro for most of the week. Expect the heat index to hit at least 105 degrees every day.

Dangerous heat is expected across large swaths of the U.S. this week, according to the National Weather Service. Parts of Missouri and Kansas are already under extreme heat warnings, with temperatures in the 90s paired with high humidity.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms swept through Kansas City on Thursday, forcing the Fan Festival to close early. But the World Cup match kicked off as scheduled, with the Dutch national team beating Tunisia 3-1.

If they heed the warnings, people in Kansas City have taken shelter more than usual this season — the 1,438 severe weather warnings issued so far is the most on record. But staffing cuts to the National Weather Service have resulted in less warning time for some storm systems.

The National Weather Service has lost hundreds of employees since President Donald Trump took office, and its severe storm forecasts may be suffering. Two tornado outbreaks this year, one in Kansas, took forecasters by surprise. Some meteorologists warn that further cuts will create a new cluster of blind spots.

Storms already delayed the opening of Kansas City's FIFA Fan Festival. With more thunderstorms and tornadoes possible this weekend, organizers say they have an evacuation plan and shelters, but those details have not been made widely available.

Kansas City comenzó la semana con temperaturas de hasta 90 grados y humedad excesiva. Casi todos los partidos en Arrowhead Stadium podrían disputarse bajo condiciones peligrosas. Con el torneo y el Fan Festival arrancando el jueves, ¿qué se está haciendo para proteger a atletas y aficionados?

Kansas City started the week with temperatures up to 90 degrees and excessive humidity. Almost all of the matches at Arrowhead Stadium are at risk of dangerous conditions. With the tournament and Fan Festival starting Thursday, what is being done to keep athletes and fans safe?